Business as Nature: A conscious leap towards sustainability

When renown Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson told the legendary marine biologist Sylvia Earle, a passionate advocate of ocean protection, that he was worried that we humans were “letting Nature slip through our fingers,” Earle replied to him that her biggest concern was that “Nature may let the human race slip through her fingers.”

Indeed, Earle fears that at the rate at which we are depleting natural resources and polluting our atmosphere and oceans, by the end of this century, the Earth may no longer be hospitable for the human species.

How do we stop the sixth mass extinction? The Paris Agreement, which aims to rein in global warming, is a good start. But political will alone wouldn’t move the needle. The private sector, which accounts for 60% of global GDP and is the main cause of global warming (a mere 100 companies cause 71% of global emissions), must take the lead in dealing with climate change and enabling sustainable development. Yet, to be effective in this leadership role, businesses need a radical shift in their consciousness—from “Business Vs. Nature” to “Business As Nature”—so they can learn to engage with Nature in a symbiotic way.

Shell’s recent success in the US Gulf of Mexico includes its deepwater Dover discovery on Mississippi Canyon 612, reported last year, near its Appomattox platform. The well was drilled by the Deepwater Poseidon ultra-deepwater drillship. Sources: Shell, Transocean.

In lieu of the traditional shovel groundbreaking, Miami City Commission chair Ken Russell, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Miami city manager Emilio T. Gonzalez (pictured l-r) perform the ceremonial water toss to mark the start of the first Miami Forever Bond project tackling flooding and sea-level rise. (Photo by City of Miami Office of Communications)